Roped into the darkside? (dun dun dun...)
- Thread starter VirgoWolf
- Start date
So, I am curious as to the maintenance of SW, how different is it than FE maintenance?
Mainly worried about water changes, can't seem to find much info on the differance in SW and FW nitrogen cycles, how often waterchanges (not top offs) need to be done, and what is the suggested percentage for a water change?
We should have our RO/DI unit hooked up by then, so it shoulden't be too difficult, just wondering really.
Also, I really want to take this slow for 2 reasons, 1) because it is obviously not cheap and we're not rich LOL, and 2) I want it done right and I don't want to change much once it's done, except maybe an upgrade way down the road somewhere. SoI plan to piece the tank, lighting, filtration, and other exuipment together slowly for now and then once we have everything we need, set the tank up with just liverock, maybe a couple inverts and leave it be for a while. That way we can add fish and corals slowly as we find ones we really like. I would like to get an idea of what stock we want, but I really want to just find the right fish as we're ready for them. I'm a stickler for quarentine too, so I still have to figure all of that out as well.
Off to do some more research....
Mainly worried about water changes, can't seem to find much info on the differance in SW and FW nitrogen cycles, how often waterchanges (not top offs) need to be done, and what is the suggested percentage for a water change?
We should have our RO/DI unit hooked up by then, so it shoulden't be too difficult, just wondering really.
Also, I really want to take this slow for 2 reasons, 1) because it is obviously not cheap and we're not rich LOL, and 2) I want it done right and I don't want to change much once it's done, except maybe an upgrade way down the road somewhere. SoI plan to piece the tank, lighting, filtration, and other exuipment together slowly for now and then once we have everything we need, set the tank up with just liverock, maybe a couple inverts and leave it be for a while. That way we can add fish and corals slowly as we find ones we really like. I would like to get an idea of what stock we want, but I really want to just find the right fish as we're ready for them. I'm a stickler for quarentine too, so I still have to figure all of that out as well.
Off to do some more research....
You seem to have the right attitude and will no doubt be successful as you are planning and researching exactly what you want. Start getting what you want slowly and get the best you can afford .....no point in buying light "A" then realizing that you should have bought light "B" after you buy that sps coral......now that can get costly
Water changes aren't much harder than in FW. A 10% weekly change seems to be the average. The main difference is that you need to mix up the water the day before and run a powerhead in the waterchange bucket to get it mixed up well. You have to test salinity of the new water, too. One thing to remember is never add salt directly to a tank with livestock in it, it's caustic when it's not completely mixed.
Many people say that you shouldn't do any water changes while cycling. If you're doing live rock, there's no need to add anything to speed up the cycle, and definitely no need to add any livestock while the cycle is going. Basically all you need to do is put the saltwater and rock in the tank, add some powerheads and a skimmer, and test every couple of days until ammonia and nitrites are at zero.
Many people say that you shouldn't do any water changes while cycling. If you're doing live rock, there's no need to add anything to speed up the cycle, and definitely no need to add any livestock while the cycle is going. Basically all you need to do is put the saltwater and rock in the tank, add some powerheads and a skimmer, and test every couple of days until ammonia and nitrites are at zero.
Here is my opinion, having kept all shapes and sizes of tanks over the last 5 years, (everything from a 180 gallon all the way down to a 2 gallon pico) I now have a 40 gallon breeder, and it really is my favorite tank besides a 75. While you might want to work with something you already have, a new tank is going to be the smallest cost in this project...I am big fan of minimalist tank keeping, as I am super lazy...My tank is a 40 gallon breeder (great shape for aquascaping plus lots of surface area...which is good in saltwater), I have an aqua-c remora which I highly recommend having used alot of other skimmers, these guys are idiot proof, the plug and play model if you will. I also have 2 seio powerheads, 90 lbs of live rock, and also bought a MH setup. This is it, very minimal, a great size as water changes aren't a pain, but still can keep a good amount of livestock. I bought my MH but if you are handy this is where DIY can save you a lot of money, a DIY MH kit is 1/3 the money of buying a unit....so I guess my vote goes to a 40 gallon breeder.
OK, so I saw a nice 30gal cube at our LFS today and was showing hubby, he now thinks that's too small, although I think that's a fine place to start. He wants to kick out my GBR and friends and steal the 75gal. But there is this nice curvy 75gal at petsmart we really like. So I am thinking we should start out with somehting like the 30gal cube I saw and once we really get the hang of things, sell that one and upgrade to the 75gal we both really want.
So I have heard SW stocking is 1" of fish to 5gal of water? Is there any more acurate ways? I know the 1"/Gal rule in FW is not really reliable, I'm assuming there is a better way to figure out SW stocking as well?
So thow me a bone here and tell me what you would do. Assuming you are on a limited budget, with plenty of time to buy things slowly and seup slowly as well. Assuming we want coral and fish. Low-moderate lighting. The best of DIY and bough equipement and lighting, etc... I definitly want to give a shot with a Green Mandarin at some point, since this is the fish that got us really wanting SW. But that will probably be a year or 2 from now.
What would you do, in the mean time, to make the tank as beautiful and enjoyable as possible, yet still expandable and appropriate for a Mandarin?
Is it possible I have too much hope of keeping a Mandarin alive and well? Should I just give up on it and go with something easier? Or should I give it a go the best way I can and hope I can keep a speicies that not many can keep? (Personally, that's the goal I think)
So what tank would you make in this situation? (size, equipment, stock, etc...)
So I have heard SW stocking is 1" of fish to 5gal of water? Is there any more acurate ways? I know the 1"/Gal rule in FW is not really reliable, I'm assuming there is a better way to figure out SW stocking as well?
So thow me a bone here and tell me what you would do. Assuming you are on a limited budget, with plenty of time to buy things slowly and seup slowly as well. Assuming we want coral and fish. Low-moderate lighting. The best of DIY and bough equipement and lighting, etc... I definitly want to give a shot with a Green Mandarin at some point, since this is the fish that got us really wanting SW. But that will probably be a year or 2 from now.
What would you do, in the mean time, to make the tank as beautiful and enjoyable as possible, yet still expandable and appropriate for a Mandarin?
Is it possible I have too much hope of keeping a Mandarin alive and well? Should I just give up on it and go with something easier? Or should I give it a go the best way I can and hope I can keep a speicies that not many can keep? (Personally, that's the goal I think)
So what tank would you make in this situation? (size, equipment, stock, etc...)
personally i would recommend the tank being a 40g breeder tank. thier shallow, and so light can reach the bottom easier without loosing wattage for the corals.
and with lighting...go as high as you can. i will be getting 65w over my 12g, and i still think that it could use more.
and personally...i know the percs are really common but mine have a lot of personalioty and are probably my favorite fish i have kept to the discus.
and if you do the 40g you could do the mandarin after a couple years so the coepod populayton increases, but it has been done in a nano before. *shrug* depends if hes eating other foods or not.
and id stay away from the chromis family, they can be kinda mean to the other fish
and the 1"/g rule doesnt really apply to saltwater at all. it all depends on the fish your wanting to keep.
and with lighting...go as high as you can. i will be getting 65w over my 12g, and i still think that it could use more.
and personally...i know the percs are really common but mine have a lot of personalioty and are probably my favorite fish i have kept to the discus.
and if you do the 40g you could do the mandarin after a couple years so the coepod populayton increases, but it has been done in a nano before. *shrug* depends if hes eating other foods or not.
and id stay away from the chromis family, they can be kinda mean to the other fish
and the 1"/g rule doesnt really apply to saltwater at all. it all depends on the fish your wanting to keep.
Thanks Fuzz. 40gal breeder seems to be a favorite around here. I would really like something a little more..... exciting? either a cube, a corner, a bowfront, etc.. I think.
Tre, I understand that, I would not expect one right off, if you noticed, I said it'd be a year or two before we attempted it. I was just curious as to how much hope there is that I could keep one alive and well.
40gal breeder seems to be a favorite around here. I would really like something a little more..... exciting? either a cube, a corner, a bowfront, etc.. I think. Tre, I understand that, I would not expect one right off, if you noticed, I said it'd be a year or two before we attempted it. I was just curious as to how much hope there is that I could keep one alive and well.
TRe said:
at one point i had a 10,20,29,55,125 all setup but it was rediculous doing water changes.... i tell my girlfriend all the time that i wouldnt mind having just the 125 gallon setup as reef with mh's and a huge sump underneath outta the 55 but i still have this puffer :/
but i still have this puffer :/
just do with my LFS did connect them.
most LFS connects all the tanks together and most of the time theres like a 6' skimmer *crazysmil
tall protein skimmers are the most efficient? i heard that somewhere but they dont sell like that cuz no one wants a 6' skimmer touching their ceiling....
Well I think that bowfronts look great but I heard the dimensions may make it a bit difficult to aquascape on either end...but Limi has a 46g bowfront and I'm loving her aquascaping...she has a thread somewhere...
Also JoeFish has recently attempted a mandarin in his 55..I'm not sure how old the tank is but you should ask him how his is doing...if you want to have a mandarin, you should definately look into a fuge/sump as a fuge is a great breeding ground for the mandarin's food.
Also JoeFish has recently attempted a mandarin in his 55..I'm not sure how old the tank is but you should ask him how his is doing...if you want to have a mandarin, you should definately look into a fuge/sump as a fuge is a great breeding ground for the mandarin's food.
lmao yeah right the tanks are spred through out my house *crazysmil and besides who wants there house to look like a lfs
and btw the only reason i say forget the mandrin is cause its not possible for like 6 more months minimumm and id wait even longer .... ive had a mandrin since the summer and hes been looking pretty skinny lately and hes eating mysis and my tanks been setup for 2 years so unless you want it to die than wait a while on that idea
and btw the only reason i say forget the mandrin is cause its not possible for like 6 more months minimumm and id wait even longer .... ive had a mandrin since the summer and hes been looking pretty skinny lately and hes eating mysis and my tanks been setup for 2 years so unless you want it to die than wait a while on that idea
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Fuzz16 said:
well if you want interesting...im for sale at the moment
LOLYeah, we wanted a good sized fuge/sump anyway, expecially when we upgrade.
Right now we're just looking to see what we can find and what prices and such. Whatever tank we find a good deal on when we have the cash will be what we choose, but I think 25-40gal is about where we'll be at.
